A malicious, suffocating pressure filled the cavern.
Cha Hae-In dropped to her knees, trembling as the overwhelming stench of the Ant King's mana flooded her senses. It was putrid, twisted beyond anything she had ever encountered.
Dong-Wook stepped forward, determined to take the initiative—
But the moment he did, his vision blurred.
A horrifying image flashed in his mind—his own body, cut in half horizontally, the life fading from his eyes.
His muscles locked in fear.
And as he stood frozen, the Ant King walked right past him.
The entire Korean Team stared in stunned silence as the black Ant stepped forward, making its way toward the lifeless corpse of the Queen.
And then—to their horror—
It began to eat.
The sound of crunching exoskeleton and torn flesh echoed through the cave, broadcasted to millions watching on live television. Disgust and dread rippled through the audience.
Then, the Ant King roared.
A shockwave blasted outward, shaking the entire cavern—
And then it vanished.
"Where—?!"
Hae-In gasped, her instincts flaring too late—
An Ant appendage slammed into her side, sending her rocketing into the cavern ceiling. Her body crashed against a stalactite, barely missing the sharpened tip.
She coughed blood, barely conscious.
Before anyone could react—
Dong-Wook swung his massive shield, his monstrous strength behind the blow—
But his arm was severed.
A split-second later, so was the other one.
His scream pierced the air.
The Ant King appeared before Baek, who lunged in fury—only to be sent flying with a single strike.
Choi barely had time to prepare a fire spell before the Ant's claws raked across his chest, cutting deep.
Lim Tae-Gyu, the Fiend Guildmaster, fired a mana-charged arrow—
The Ant snatched it from the air, looked at him—
And blitzed forward.
Before Tae-Gyu could react, he was caught in a three-hit combo, his body smashing into the cave wall.
The Korean Team was being annihilated.
Dong-Wook, now missing his gruesome injuries, body-checked the Ant, knocking it back.
"I have a healer!" he taunted, some blood dripping from his mouth. "That makes me immortal!"
Byung-Gu, the healer in question, remained motionless.
"My Disguise Skill is my best defense…" he thought. "If I stay still, it won't notice me… As long as I keep healing, we can outlast it—"
His thoughts stopped.
Pain exploded through his chest.
He looked down.
A claw was sticking through him.
"…No way."
He turned his head, eyes locking onto Baek.
"Yoonho… run…"
The Ant bit down.
Byung-Gu's head was gone.
Baek roared in fury, launching himself at the Ant—
Only for a clawed hand to wrap around his throat.
His lungs burned, his transformation faltering.
The Ant tilted its head—
And spoke.
"Yoonho… run…"
Byung-Gu's voice.
The Hunters froze.
It had learned to speak.
The Ant tossed Baek aside, watching him collapse onto the ground.
Then, it gazed at them—at their broken, battered forms—and sneered.
"You all… are weak."
The words rippled with absolute disdain.
The Ant King's antennae twitched—it turned its head toward a tunnel, sensing something.
Then, it spoke again.
"Outside… there is a strong presence."
It vanished in an instant.
The Hunters collapsed in exhaustion.
They had survived.
But at what cost?
Baek clenched his fists, grief and rage consuming him. Byung-Gu came out of retirement to help us… and now he's dead.
His thoughts turned to Goto.
"Wait… The Ant King went outside… That's where he is!"
Outside the Colony, Goto and Team Alpha rushed through the forest, stumbling upon the mutilated corpses of Teams Charlie and Delta.
Goto's jaw tightened.
He relayed the information to Team Bravo, who responded:
"Finish what you're doing and rendezvous at the meeting point."
A beep on his headset.
Goto stopped.
"Matsumoto?"
Switch to the seas near China.
A ship captain spoke to his subordinate.
"Japan and Korea are reckless," he muttered. "Goto's plan to become National Rank is ambitious, but..."
He sighed.
"Liu Zhigang is still leagues above him. One of their countries will suffer greatly for this."
Back to Goto's call with Matsumoto.
"Pull out," Matsumoto ordered.
Even if they failed, the press would make Goto look good anyway.
The call ended.
Goto exhaled sharply.
"We're leaving," he told his two comrades.
Then—
A blur rushed past.
Goto blocked, one of them dodged—the other was cut down instantly.
Goto's instincts flared.
"Minoru—run!"
Minoru hesitated.
"Rendezvous with Team Bravo," Goto ordered. "I'll hold it off."
Minoru ran.
Goto turned.
The Ant King stood before him.
Its eyes gleamed.
"Are you the King of Humans?"
Goto's aura flared.
He smirked.
"Yes. I am the King."
The Ant King cackled.
Then, it let its own aura explode.
The air turned red.
Goto froze.
He had felt this level of power only once before—
With Po.
Fear gripped his heart.
He never had time to react.
His deep red blade shattered—
And his head fell from his body.
Back in the cavern, the injured Korean Hunters fought desperately against waves of attacking ants.
Choi blasted them with fire, but he was too injured to keep up.
And the oxygen was running out.
Baek gritted his teeth. Is this really how it ends?
Then—
Shadows soldiers and Dragons rose.
Dragons—made of both light and shadow—emerged from the darkness.
Far away, in Korea's mainland, Po and Jin-Woo turned toward each other.
They both grinned.
And in perfect sync, they spoke—
"Exchange."